Apparatus for defibrating cottonseed and the like



NDV. 1711925- 1,562,308

' l I E. C. DE SEGUND O APPARATUS FOR DEFIBRATING COTTON SEED AND THE LIKE 4 Filed Nov. 2. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet l yz iornegk Nov. 17,1925 4 1,562,308

E. C. DE SEGUNDO APPARATUS FOR DEFIBRATING COTTON SEED AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 2. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 A W I zs naeaz E. C. DE SEGUNDO Filed Nov. 2, 1922 APPARATUS FOR DEF'IBRATING COTTON SEED AND THE LIKE Nov. 17, 1925;

M o M N o N I \Q\ .i\. 4 H 5 l1 J APPARATUS FOR DEFIBRATING COTTON SEED AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 2, 1922 "4 Sheets-Sheet 4 worrz l v V inner wall of the defibrating chamber and etliciency of Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD CARSTENSEN DE. SEGUNDQ', OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

Application filed November 2, 1922. Serial No. 598,661.

. 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD OARs'rnNsEN on SnoUNno, a sub ect of the King of Great Britain, residing in London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Defibrating Cottonseed and the like, of which the following is a specification. I

United States Patent No. 1,329,828, granted February 3, 1920,.discloses apparatus for defibrating cotton and other fibre-bearing seeds, freeing the detached fibres from dust or other foreign matter, andsegregating and collecting said fibres in a continuous manner, the apparatus being characterized by the employment of rotating and stationary mechanism so devised that, while the material to be treated passes through an annular zone in a defibrating chamber under the action of gravity and centrifugal force. and is subjected to the action of revolving beaters therein, it is retarded in its travel through the defibrating chamber according to the degree to which it is desired to remove the fibres thereon, the detached fibres being carried away by a suitably directed plenum of air caused by the defibrating operations and flowing around and through the mass of material in a direction opposed to that in. which the defibra-ted portion of the material moves towards a convenient point of discharge, andthe dust or other foreign matter held in suspension with the detached fibres being expelled after the detached fibres have left the defibrating zone and being delivered apart from the fibres.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus such as above alluded to, the chief object being to promote greater the defibrating operations. To these ends I provide means whereby the rate of travel through the working zone of the material to be defibrated is regulated, and this by varying the clearan ce between the the parts rotating therein. I also so dispose the lower portion of the defibrating chamher as to admit of free access of air into and upwards through the chamber.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating defibrating apparatus embodying the invention, and in which Fig. 1 represents a vertical sectional elevation of one form of such apparatus.

Fig. 2 a horizontal sectional part plan on the line A B in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are, respectively, detail plan, side and end views of OIIGTOI'IILOf a defibrating device or revolving beater.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are, respectively, detail plan, side and'cnd views of another. form of defibrating device or revolving beater.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the upper portion of a defibrating apparatus, showingone form of construction. y i

Fig. 10 is a vertical section of the lower portion'of adefibrati'ng apparatus showing a modification.

Fig. 11 is a vertical section ofa modified defibrating apparatus. v

Fig. 12 is a vertical section of a defibrating chamber showing a further modified arrangement.

In the several figures corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In the drawings, 1 denotes the casing or y wall of the defibrating chamber, which may be made of cast iron or other suitable material. This chamber is preferably conical in form increasingin sectional area from" the bottom upwards, and terminates at its upper end in acylindrical portion, as indicated in Fig. 1. The walls of the conical and of the cylindrical portions are furnished on the inside surface with protuberances or strips'4 which may be o-finetal, hard wood, or other appropriate substance, and may be disposed parallel to the vertical axis of the cylindrical portion and along generatrices of the conical portion, as shown, or may be fixed at an angle along the inside surface andv may be continuous throughout their length or divided into sections. Inwardly' projecting studs or rods may be, employed instead of the strips 4; or the inner surface of the walls of the defibrating or working chamber may be roughened, the object of such strips, or

studs, or roughenin-g being to retard or oppose a resistance to the movement of the material under treatment around the inner I surface of the. walls of the defibrating chamber. 7

Centrally and. rotatably disposed within the defibrating chamber is a body 5, prefby a rotatable shaft 8 in.

be adjusted vertically and secured at any desired point by any suitable means. As

shown in Fig. 1, the boss 6 is provided with keyways 6 which' have a sliding fit on feathers 7 on the shaft 8, so that the body 5 and the boss 6 can be adjusted to any position along a vertical travel in the direction of shaft 8 and be secured in any suitable way, for instance as shown in Fig. 1, by means of a clamping washer 3 and a stud 3. A second position of the boss, 6 is indicated in broken lines.

It is clear that the same object could be attained by maintaining a fixed relation between the body 5 and the shaft 8 and by adopting means whereby the defibrating chamber 1 is rendered capable of movement in a direction parallel to the axis of the shaft 8 and of being secured in any desired position throughout the extent of such movement relative to the body 5. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 11 and in Fig. 12,'where the defibrating chamber is constituted by a wall 1, slidably mounted on the casing or frame 1. The outline of the chamber in positions lower than those in dicated in full lines in those two figures is shown by means of broken lines therein.

The space between the revolving body 5 and the inner wall of the chamber 1 constitutes the above mentioned annular working zone. I

The body 5 carries a plurality of arms 9 terminating in holders 10 into which pieces of metal 11, of which the whole or a portion of the surface may be roughened after the fashion of a nutmeg grater (or in any other suitable manner), are inserted The pieces of metal 11 are hereinafter termed defibrating elements and, together with the arms 9 and the holders 10, constitute revolving beaters. One arrangement of these beaters is illustrated in Figs. 3, Land 5, the defibrating elements being furnished with two or more lugs 12 which bear against the holders 10 and prevent elements 11 from moving outwardly towards the wall of the defibrating chamber 1.

. The revolving heaters may be disposed in any desired manner about the body 5 and the plane of the holder 10 may be horizontal or vertical or inclined at any angle to the horizontal or vertical and may consist of two or more portions set at an angle to each other, and one or moresuch portions may be curved so as to form an arc, or arcs, concentric with that of a horizontal section of thedefibrating chamber 1, and one or more such portions may be furnished with defibrating elements. of which the whole, or a part of the surfaces may be roughened in the manner previously described.

A revolving beater constructed in the manner just described is illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. In this beater the leading portion .curved. In Fig. 1 the arms 9-are shown forming a single spiral of about two convolutions round the body 5.

The body 5 is closed at the top by a removable cap 13, the upper portion of which is preferably conical, and may carry two or more vanes 14, which are preferably inclined to the surface of the cone backwards from the direction of rotation. These vanes 14- are, preferably, adjustable along a generatrix of the cone surface and afford ameans supplemental to the action of the revolving beaters, or of whatever other means may be employed, to cause a current of air to pass through the apparatus. The lower portion 15 of the cap 13 may be furnished with arms, holders, and defibrating elements which may be similar to the elements 9, 10, 11 carriedby the body 5, or may be of any other suitable form.

Upon the shaft 8, below the rotating body 5 and below the lower end of the conical part of the defibrating chamber 1, a second boss 16 is disposed and is driven by a pin 17 passing through the shaft 8. The boss 16 is furnished with arms, holders and defibrating elements similar to 9, 10, 11 above described, the defibrating elements being here donatedby'33. The duty of the defibrating elements 33 is to assist in the regulation of the rate of travel of the material through the defibrating chamber. I

Inter-posed between the boss 6 and the boss 16 is shown an interchangeable distance washer 2. By using washers of varying thickness the clearance between the ends of the deiibrating elements 11 and the retarding strips t in. the working chamber can be varied, the thicker the washer the greater the clearance.

The above described second series of defibrating elements 33 and associated parts and also the chamber 29 may be dispensed with, if desired, as shown in the alternative construction indicated in Fig. 12.

At the lower end of the conical part of the defibrating chamber 1 a chamber 29 is fixed which may be cylindrical, or conical or partly cylindrical and partly conical. In F 1 this chamber is shown as being cylindrical and having the same inside diameter as that of the lower end of the conical part of the defibrating chamber 1.

Within the chamber 29 is a ring 31 held in position by lugs which are attached thereto in a manner to engage in inclined or spiral slots provided in the walls of the chamber 29 and terminate in handles 32. The section of the ring 31 increases in thickness from a feather edge at the upper end of sud ring and from the lower end of said ring to a sufficient thickness intermediate the ends of the ring to accommodate the lugs securely. The ring is so disposed in relation to the defibrating elements 33 carried by the boss 16, that by causing the'lugs to travel in the above mentioned inclined or spiral slots and thus raising'or lowering the ring 31, the clearance between the upper inclined surface 35 of the ring and the defibrating elements 33 may be varied. Any suitable means may be adopted for securing the ring 31 in any desired position within the limits of its travel in relation to the defibrating elements 33. It is clear that the same object could be attained by making the interior surface of the chamber 29 conical instead of cylindrical and making the boss 16 adjustable lengthwise of the shaft 8, as indicated in Fig. 10.

Any suitable constructional details may be adopted for ensuring the necessary degree of centrality of the shaft 8 relative to the defibrating chamber 1 and the chamber 29.

In Fig. '1 an annular ring 18 is shown at the lower end of the chamber 29, the inside diameter of the annulus being of a size sufficient to provide a ledge upon which the material under treatment, when issuing from the lower end of the defibrating chamber 1.

may lodge. Two or more arms 19, 20, fixed in any convenient manner to the rotating boss 16 are arranged to sweep the defibrated material which lodges upon the ledge 18 out of one or more orifices such as 21.

In order to prevent portions of the defibrated material from falling through the opening 22 of the annular ring 18, a circular screen of wire mesh 23 may be fixed in the opening 22 as indicated in Fig. 10.

The construction shown in Fig. 1, comprising the chamber 29 and the parts disposed therein, illustrates one manner in which the defibrated material may be collected and discharged at a given point in a desired direction. The annular ring 18 and the chamber 29 are not essential parts of the apparatus. The defibrated material passing through the lower end of the chamber 1 may be collected .in any other convenient manner which does not unduly interfere with the sufiiciently free access of air to, and its passage through, the defibrating chamber 1 inv obedience to the action of the revolving heaters or of any supplemental, or other substantive means employed for causing air to flow through the apparatus.

The defibrating chamber and the defibrating mechanism are preferably mounted upon a pedestal carrying the bearings and thrust washer in which the shaft 8 rotates, but such members are not shown. The pedestal or other arrangement for carrying the shaft 8 and the defibrating mechanism is preferably so formed as to allow of access of air in as free'a manner as practicable to the inside of the defibrating chamber.

At the upper end of the defibrating 'cham her 1 is fixed a chamber 24, preferably cylindrical and of a suitable length. The wall 24 of the chamber 24 may terminate at. its 7 upper end with a lip or edge, as shown in Fig. 9, in which case the detached fibres would be delivered at the upper peripheral edge of the chamber and round an air or T feed tube 25 through which the material to g ,Should it be desired to direct the outflow of the detached fibres in any particular direction, the upper end of the chamber 24 and the feed tube 25 may be disposed, as shown in Fig. 1, where the wall 24 of the chamber 24 terminates upwardly in a spirally-formed edge or lip 24 and the annular space between the feed tube and the upper part of the wall 24 of the chamber 24 is closed after the fashion of the thread of a steep-threaded screw by means of a spiral-' ly-formed strip or partition 24 the rise of the spiral substantially following the direction of motion of the shaft 8 when rotated. The spiral strip or partition 24 which serves to close in the above mentioned space, may be continued downwards in the annular space between the tube 25 and the wall of the chamber 24 for any desired distance. The fibres travelling up the chamber 24 in the above-mentioned annular space, may be arranged to leave the chamber through an opening 24 which is presented or exists between the top and bottom ends of the spirally-formed strip 24 which is partially closed by a vertically disposed plate 24*. i I

According to the character of the fibrebearing seed or other fibrous material treated, the wall of the chamber 24 may be per forated throughout more or less of its height by holes of suitable size 26, the portion so perforated 'being'enclosed on the outside of the chamber 24 by a chamber 27 furnished with doors or shutters or other suitable means for removing the dust or other foreign matter collected through the perforations 26 from the detached fibres in their passage from the defibrating chamber-to the outside of the machine. Alternatively, such dust or debris may, in the case of certain kinds of fibre-bearing seeds or other fibrous materials, be segregated behind a screen or baffle 28 (Fig' 1), the position of such The hood screen or baflle being adjustable relative to the points at which the detached fibres issue from the machine. Both means of segregating dust from the detached fibre may, it desired, be employed in the same machine.

It is not essential that the seed or other material to be treated be introduced into the machine through the centrally disposed air tube but may be fed in by appropriate means at any pointin the periphery of the chamber 24. The air tube :25 or some similar air vent is desirable for promoting the efiiciency ot the expulsion of the detached fibres.

If the seed be fed peripherally, it is clear that the cap 13 carrying the vanes 14: may be disposed at a point higher up in the chamber 24 than is indicated in the acconr panying drawings, and the chamber 2 may be diminished in dian'ieter so as more closely to envelop the vanes ii on the cap 13 and the perforations for the removal of any uprising dust mixed with the detached fibres, together with the chamber for collecting such dust, may be disposed in the neighbon hood of the vanes l i.

Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical effect, I claim 1. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a'defibrating chamber having a portion of its interior formed conically and another portion of its interior formed cylindrically, a series or heaters rotatably mounted in the conical portion of said chamber, means for adjusting said series of beaters lengthwise of said conical portion to vary the clearance between. said heaters and the Wall of said conical portion, a second series of boaters mounted to rotate in said cylindrical portion, and a ring mounted in said cylindrical portion having a beveled lace lying adjacent said second series of heaters, said ring being movable lengthwise or said cylindrical portion for varying the clearance between said second series of boaters and the beveled portion of said ring.

2. In apparatus according to claim 1, a cap crowning the body which carries said series of revolving beaters, said cap having a conical surface, and vanes carried by said cap and disposed along generatrices of the conical surface, for the purpose described.

3. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a defibrating chamber having a portion of its interior Wall formed conically, a body mounted to rotate in said conical portion, a cap having a conical surfacecarried by said body, a series of heaters also carried by said body and associated "with said Wall, and vanes carried by said cap and adjustable along generatri'ces of the conical surface of said cap. I

i. In an apparatus of the class described, a defibrating chamber having a spirally formed lip at its upper end and having a portion of its interior Wall formed conically, a series of beatcrs mounted to rotate in said conical portion of said chamber, means for adjusting said beaters axially of said chamher to vary the clearance between said beaters and said conical Wall, and a spirally formed partition closing the upper end of said chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWARD CARSTENSEN cle SEGUNDO. 

